DURHAM — Expected to be ranked among the nation's top five teams with four starters returning, Duke basketball opens the season Nov. 6, and immediately faces stiff competition.
The Blue Devils open their second season under head coach Jon Scheyer against Dartmouth on Nov. 6 before facing Arizona and Michigan State in their next two games.
Duke announced its nonconference basketball schedule Tuesday, revealing the 11 non-ACC teams it will play in November and December. Eight of those games will be at Cameron Indoor Stadium, where the Blue Devils went 16-0 last season.
"I want our group to be battle tested," Scheyer said. "You want to win every game. Don't get me wrong. But to have those battles in preseason is great. Then we have different teams coming in here. Protecting our home court is important. That's a big deal."
The slate includes Arizona's much-anticipated visit to Cameron Indoor Stadium, the first game of a two-game contract that will see the Blue Devils play at Arizona the following season, on Nov. 21, 2024.
Duke and Arizona have played nine times, with the Wildcats leading the series 5-4. But only three games have been on one another's home court. The only previous game at Cameron Indoor Stadium was played on Feb. 25, 1990, when Duke won, 78-76.
Duke and Michigan State will play on Nov. 14 at Chicago's United Center as part of the Champions Classic doubleheader on ESPN. Kentucky and Kansas play in the other game.
The Blue Devils' other nonconference games against teams from power conferences are Nov. 29 at Arkansas, and Dec. 20 against Baylor at New York's Madison Square Garden.
Arizona, Michigan State, Arkansas and Baylor are the only four teams on Duke's nonconference schedule who played in last season's NCAA Tournament. Seven of Duke's 11 nonconference foes had winning records last season, those four plus Charlotte, Hofstra and Queens.
As was previously announced, Duke will play three games at Cameron Indoor Stadium as part of its Blue Devil Challenge multi-team event. Those games are against Bucknell on Nov. 17, La Salle on Nov. 21 and Southern Indiana on Nov. 24.
The Blue Devils have two nonconference games against in-state foes in December as Charlotte comes to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Dec. 9 and Queens plays at Duke on Dec. 30.
Charlotte went 22-14 last season, winning the College Basketball Insider tournament. But head coach Ron Sanchez resigned last month to become an assistant coach at Virginia. So the 49ers will be playing this season under interim head coach Aaron Fearne.
Queens went 18-15 in its first season of Division I play in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Duke also plays Hofstra, last season's Colonial Athletic Conference regular-season champion, at home on Dec. 12.
The ACC and ESPN have yet to finalize this season's league schedule. Games normally begin the first weekend of December. Duke has left that weekend, Dec. 1-3, devoid of nonconference games.
Duke's league schedule will include home games with North Carolina, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Boston College, Clemson, Syracuse and Virginia. Its ACC road games will be at UNC, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pitt, Florida State, NC State, Miami and Virginia Tech.
The Blue Devils will hold their season-opening Countdown to Craziness blue-white scrimmage on Oct. 20 at Cameron Indoor Stadium as well as a home exhibition game against UNC Pembroke at 7 p.m. on Nov. 1.
